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Where to point your domain.

Your domain is your address. It still needs to know where your website and your email live. Here is how to connect it, and the places people usually connect it to.

In short

  • A domain needs two things: a DNS host (who manages its settings) and a platform (where your website or email lives).
  • With Magu, you choose your DNS host by setting its nameservers in your domain settings.
  • Then you add the records your website or email platform gives you.
  • Changes usually work within minutes, and can take up to 48 hours.

How connecting a domain works

Think of three parts. Your domain is the name people type. Your DNS host is the address book that says where that name should go. Your platform is where the website, shop or email actually lives.

So connecting a domain is always the same two moves: put your domain on a DNS host, then add the records that point it to your platform.

Step 1: choose where your DNS will live

These all offer free DNS hosting, or free DNS with an account you would have anyway. If you are unsure, choose Cloudflare. It is free, fast and easy to manage. Free plans and limits change, so check the provider's pricing page.

  • Cloudflare — free DNS on a fast global network. The most popular choice.
  • Hurricane Electric — free hosted DNS with a solid reputation. The interface is dated.
  • ClouDNS — a free plan with one zone and a monthly query limit.
  • FreeDNS (afraid.org) — free DNS hosting, and free subdomains too.
  • deSEC — free, non-profit DNS with strong security and DNSSEC support.
  • Bunny DNS — fast global DNS, free with a Bunny account.
  • DigitalOcean DNS — free for any account holder, with no server needed.
  • Hetzner DNS — free DNS management for Hetzner account holders.
  • Vultr DNS — free DNS for Vultr account holders.
  • Linode / Akamai DNS Manager — free for account holders.
  • Netlify DNS — free when the domain is used with a Netlify site.
  • Vercel DNS — free for domains used with Vercel.

Step 2: point your domain to that DNS host

Your DNS host will give you two to four nameservers (Cloudflare gives two, Netlify DNS gives four). To use them:

  1. Sign in and open my folder → domains, then choose your domain.
  2. Open the nameservers section.
  3. Enter the exact names your DNS host gave you. Replace the whole list; do not mix providers.
  4. Save, and wait for the change to spread.

Before you switch: copy your website and email records to the new DNS host first, or they will stop working. If DNSSEC is switched on, remove it before the change and enable it again with your new provider afterwards.

Magu registers your domain but does not host its DNS records, so the records in the next step are added at your DNS host.

Step 3: connect your website, shop or email

Your platform will show you exactly which records to add, usually under a “connect a domain” or “DNS” page. Add them at your DNS host from Step 1.

Website builders and shops

  • Wix — drag-and-drop websites for beginners.
  • Squarespace — polished portfolio and business sites.
  • Shopify — online shops.
  • WordPress.com — blogs and flexible business websites.
  • Webflow — designer-built sites without heavy coding.
  • Framer — modern marketing sites and landing pages.
  • Ghost — publishing, newsletters and memberships.

Hosting for developer-built sites

  • Netlify — static and developer-built websites.
  • Vercel — web apps and developer-built sites.
  • Cloudflare Pages — free, fast static hosting.
  • GitHub Pages — free hosting for simple static sites.
  • South African hosts — Xneelo, Afrihost and HostAfrica offer traditional shared hosting with local support.

Email and more

  • Google Workspace — professional email like you@yourbusiness.co.za, plus shared documents and calendar.
  • Microsoft 365 — professional email with Outlook, Word and Excel.
  • Zoho Mail — a budget-friendly professional email option.
  • Link-in-bio and booking tools — Carrd, Linktree Pro and Calendly can sit on your domain or a subdomain such as book.yourbusiness.co.za.

The records you will meet

  • A — points a name (usually your main address) to a server.
  • CNAME — points a name (often www) to another name. Many platforms use this.
  • MX — tells the world where your email is delivered.
  • TXT — proves you own the domain and helps protect your email from being faked.

Copy them exactly as your platform shows them.

If it is not working yet

  • Give it time. Most changes work within minutes; some take up to 48 hours.
  • Check the nameservers. Only your new DNS host's nameservers should be listed, with none left over from before.
  • Check the records. Copy them exactly, and check both your main address and the “www” version.
  • Remove old records that still point somewhere else, such as an earlier website.
  • The padlock comes last. Your platform sets up https automatically once the domain is connected.
  • Check from the outside. A free tool like dnschecker.org shows what the world currently sees.
Stuck on a step? Send us an enquiry and tell us which platform you are connecting to. Or go back to find your domain.